EU is in ‘urgent war mode’ says top diplomat — RT World News

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called for more and faster deliveries of arms and ammunition to Ukraine. His words come amid Western promises of new arms deliveries for kyiv and growing shortages in Europe’s own stockpiles.

“We are in urgent war mode”, Borrell said on Sunday, during the final day of the Munich Security Conference. He added that the conflict would be over if the ammunition shortage was not resolved by “a matter of weeks.”

The diplomat lamented the depletion of European stocks, saying that the Union “forgotten about conventional warfare…engaged only in expeditionary forces and technological blitzkrieg.”

He announced that EU defense ministers will hold a special meeting on March 8-9 to try to resolve this issue. Borrell said he would also present the idea of ​​using the 3.6 billion euros ($3.6 billion) European Peace Facility to jointly purchase ammunition for Kyiv, using the experience of the EU in joint purchases of Covid-19 vaccines.

Borrell himself was wary of ammunition shortages in September, saying supplies were “impoverished.” That assessment was echoed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who warned that Alliance nations were running out of ammunition they could donate to Kiev’s war effort.

Several EU countries and the United States have pledged to send modern Western-built tanks to Ukraine; however, the process will take months without a clear timeline. The UK and France are also considering sending fighter jets to kyiv, with London already training pilots. However, French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this month that sending warplanes was not something that could be done. “in the next weeks.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this month that arms deliveries to kyiv would not prevent Russia from achieving the objectives of the military operation, but that they “prolong the suffering” for Ukraine.

You can share this story on social media:

Follow RT on